Chamber Cash Mob

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Hell Yeah Prince George have brought an exciting and innovative event to Prince George that aims to boost support for local small businesses. The “Cash Mob” phenomenon originated in the United States and has been spreading throughout Canada and the world. The basic idea is to select a business where the Cash Mob is to take place on a particular date. Participants are instructed, usually on social media, to spend a minimum of twenty dollars at that business during the specified time period. The benefits for the business are an increase in sales and a raised profile in the community. Cash Mobs are also great for community building, as one of the aims is bringing people together in one place for a common goal.

Bringing a Cash Mob to Prince George fits with the Chamber’s commitment to supporting the local small businesses within our membership and community. Small businesses represent 98% of all businesses in the province, and form a significant part of our membership. Through the Cash Mob, we will continue to strengthen our relationship with the Hell Yeah Prince George movement, and build our social media presence.

How it works:

Throughout the year we will post a “Call for Nominations” on the Chamber Facebook page, which will be shared on the Hell Yeah Prince George page. In the post, you will be invited to nominate a local Chamber Member business for the Cash Mob, and provide a brief explanation for why this business deserves to be “mobbed”. Your comments and kind words will help the judging committee come to a decision. You can nominate by commenting on the Facebook post!

Once the nominations have been submitted, the Chamber’s Service Delivery Committee, with assistance from Scott McWalter from HYPG, will select the Cash Mobbed business.

We encourage you to get involved with this initiative to support our local businesses and submit your nomination. Then help us spread the word. You can follow updates about Prince George’s Cash Mob on Twitter and Facebook. Join in the fun with the following hashtags:

“The Cash Mob Saturday was an incredible day for us. We just about cracked $1000 in retail sales which is amazing considering we just sold product and no gift certificates or cake orders AND we aren’t typically open on Saturdays. One of the other times we reached this level of retails sales was during the Canada Winter Games. It was a great event and well marketed in conjunction with HYPG. I love keeping my business downtown and I love being part of the Chamber!” – Cindy Klassen, Bites of Bliss

In partnership with Hell Yeah Prince George, the Chamber organized it’s third Cash Mob of 2015 at Van Horlick’s Trophy & Gift house on Saturday, November 21st.

“The Cash Mob, hosted by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce at our business last fall, felt like a party! The event created a real buzz in the community, celebrating the overall fun friendly atmosphere of local business. Our staff particularly enjoyed interacting with all the customers, who were also busy chatting with each other. There was definitely an increase in traffic throughout the cash mob event which continued throughout the entire day. It was a success in our eyes, measured not only by the number of people in our store, but by a 50% increase in sales compared to the same day last year. With the Chamber’s promotion, along with Hell Yeah Prince George and our own Facebook page, there was a lot of public engagement and interest. I believe, THAT increased awareness and support for local business continues to help us build our customer base and increases sales overall.” – Paula Van Horlick-Derksen

On May 2nd, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Hell Yeah Prince George organized a Cash Mob at Books and Company. While Cash Mobs have become a popular way of boosting support for local businesses in cities throughout North America, this was the first time a Prince George business hosted such an event. Between 10:00-2:00, shoppers “mobbed” Books and Company, many with $20 bills in hand. Feedback about the event has been very positive. “We had 20-25% higher sales than we normally would on a Saturday,” says Books and Company owner Owen Lubbers, “That’s good news for any business. It was humbling to have been chosen by the community, and we really appreciate the support. From our end, it was a great success.” Adding to the excitement, the Cash Mob coincided with “Authors for Indies Day,” which saw several local authors showcase their works at Books and Company. The Chamber plans to hold two more Cash Mobs before the summer. Stay tuned for details about the next round of nominations!